Reborn To Serve
by FireOkami-Kitsune
Summary: A girl from our world, reborn in theirs to protect a boy who has attracted the attention of a God. Can she succeed against the unknown? Can her Trainer? Rebirth fic, my first story.
1. Prologue

**A.N.- This is my first fic on this site, and it's inspired by srgeman's wonderful fic A Little Night Music. I know it's not on this site anymore (I still don't know why it got kicked off, so someone feel free to tell me) but I can still dedicate it to that. Read and review, please! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I do own my OC.**

"Hello!"-regular speech

"**Hello!"**-Legendary Pokemon speech

Reborn To Serve

Prologue

It was very bright, this place. There was nothing but white in every direction. I was the only break in the monotony, the only thing out of place. I didn't know how long I had been in this place, or even where this place was. The last thing I could remember was crossing the street. There had suddenly been the sound of a truck's horn, a jolt of pain, and my vision exploded into white. What had happened?

I walked for a while. Or, it felt like I was walking. I couldn't really tell. Eventually I stopped trying and simply waited for something to happen. While I waited, I let myself face the truth: I had to be dead. I was stupid, and hadn't looked before crossing the street. One of the first lessons a mother teaches her child. Yeah, I had never known my mother, but that was no excuse. I had been a typical teenager, I believed myself to be invincible. How it hurts to realize the truth…

But the question still remained: where was I? It couldn't be Hell, it wasn't… Hellish enough. Is that even a word? Ah, whatever. It doesn't really matter. Anyway, I didn't think I was in heaven either, since I couldn't see my fellow dead people. Also, I seriously doubted Heaven was this boring. I wondered vaguely if I should be feeling more worried, or afraid, or something. All my emotions seemed… muted, in a way. It was weird. After all, I had just died. I should be in a panic.

Something in the distance caught my eye. A blue glow, fast approaching. I squinted, trying to see what it was. I needn't have bothered. In seconds, an odd-looking creature was standing about five feet away from me. I observed it quietly. It looked familiar, kind of like an alien.

Then, I remembered. I had seen this creature in a movie when I was little. The nuns at the orphanage took us as a special treat, since all the other kids at the public schools were going and they didn't want us to feel left out. But, those creatures weren't real… Right?

"Mewtwo?" I spoke for the first time since entering this too-bright place. The creature- a Pokemon, I think- nodded in a dignified way.

"**Yes." **Its deep voice was easy to hear, but its mouth didn't move. Telepathy, I remembered. Mewtwo spoke using telepathy.

"Why am I here?" I asked calmly. Thank god I was a naturally calm person, or I would be freaking out, suppressed emotions or not. Mewtwo smirked slightly.

"**I have something I wish for you to do, young human. If you are willing, of course."** He said, no emotion in his voice. My eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What? You're _Mewtwo_, you have almost limitless power!"

"**I am no longer allowed to directly interfere in human affairs."** His voice sounded annoyed now. **"I have joined the God's ranks, to rule beside my sister."** I was guessing his sister was Mew. I raised an eyebrow.

"Congratulations. But in case you forgot, I'm human." I think his eye twitched in annoyance at that. Hm, maybe I shouldn't piss off the God… Might be good for my health.

"**You are dead. You don't count."** Yeah, he was mad at me. **"Here is my proposal: In return for bringing you back to life as a Pokemon, you are to guard a young boy who has caught my attention. The boy is going to be starting his Pokemon Journey, and if you accept my offer, you will be his starter. In addition, you will have a few… **_**differences**_** from a regular Pokemon."**

I considered the offer. I would be reborn as a basically magic creature to guard and help a boy who had caught the attention of a God. It sounded good, but…

"Why me? And what's so interesting about this kid?"

**In regards to the second question, it is none of your concern. As for why I picked you…"** Mewtwo looked a little sad. **"You are both orphans. Shawn has lived his whole life without a family, as have you. In addition, you are very loyal to those you consider your friends. That is a valuable trait in a Pokemon." **I hesitated for only a second before I nodded firmly. The fact that this Shawn kid was an orphan had cinched it for me. We orphans had to stick together after all.

"I accept." Of course I might have accepted without the orphan part. I was only fifteen when I died, and that was far to young to have to stop living. This was my second chance, and I was going for it.

"**Good luck, my young friend. Know that the blessing of Mewtwo is upon you. I will be watching." **With that semi-scary encouragement, my vision went black. The last thing I saw was Mewtwo looking at me with his blue eyes, a smile on his face.

End Prologue

**A.N.- Sorry that the prologue's so short, but hey, prologues usually are. Please review, people, I want to improve, but I can't do that without feedback.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A.N.- First chapter (not including the prologue)! In this chapter you'll find out what my character is going to be! And what her trainer is like! Please, read and review!**

**Disclaimer:** . FANfiction. Get it? I don't own it! (wish I did though. I'd be so rich…)

"Hello!"-regular speech

"**Hello!"**-Legendary Pokemon Speech

Reborn To Serve

Chapter 1

It was dark and warm. Those were the first things I noticed. The second was how small and cramped it was. As time passed, it grew tighter around me. I ignored it for as long as possible, but it began to hurt. Obeying my instinct, I began to struggle. I shoved at my prison violently, repeating until one limb broke free. Light and sound filtered in.

"-on! You can make it, girl! You're almost there!" I was tired now, but I pushed on. I clenched all my muscles, gathering my strength, then lashed out. I rolled out onto something soft, and someone immediately wrapped me up in something warm.

"Good job, Vulpix!" Was that what I was? A Vulpix? I could remember seeing the fox-like creature in the movie I had seen years ago. I blinked blearily, trying to clear my fuzzy vision, and looked down at myself. Two little dark paws met my gaze. Huh? Weren't Vulpix supposed to be red? "You know, you look kinda weird, Vulpix. Not bad, just weird." I looked up in the direction of the voice.

It was a boy, about twelve years old. His hair was a dark purple, almost black. A quick comparison my own fur revealed it to be the exact same color. I decided to ignore it and returned to my inspection of my Trainer. His eyes were so deep a blue that they almost seemed to glow. His hair spiked all over his head, in some places seeming to defy gravity and others reaching his shoulders. He was a wearing black jeans and a white shirt. A silver belt with magnets for Pokeballs hung loosely around his waist. He was looking at me with a major shit-eating grin on his face.

Before I could move on to observing the room, my stomach rumbled loudly. Before I could stop myself, a loud wail erupted from my throat. I cut it off quickly, but it certainly had the desired effect. The boy-Shawn, Mewtwo had called him- jumped up in a panic and went scrambling. He rushed to a small fridge nearby and pulled out a baby bottle of milk. I watched as he put the bottle on a small heating pad that was placed on a rickety looking desk. I probably would have found the look of sheer panic on the boy's face to be hilarious if I wasn't so damn hungry. The hunger seemed to take up all my available brain power, making me quite cranky. I wailed again just to see if it would hurry Shawn up. It did.

"Calm down, girl! I'm going as fast as I can!" Not fast enough, in my opinion. He should have warmed it up _before_ I hatched. But, the poor boy seemed to be quite exasperated, so I resisted the urge to wail for a third time.

Within minutes, my meal was ready. Shawn picked me up gently, still wrapped in my cocoon of blankets, and put me in his lap. Then, he brought the bottle to my muzzle.

Oh, sweet God in heaven! This was the best thing I had ever tasted in my life! Wait, that didn't make sense… This was the best thing I had ever tasted in both of my lives! …Yeah, that didn't make much sense either. Anyway, I wasn't sure if it was because my taste buds were stronger as a Pokemon; or if the milk in the Pokemon world was just plain awesome. To be honest, I didn't really care. As long as it continued to taste this good, of course.

All to soon, the precious liquid was gone. I yawned, opening my little mouth wide and showing off my needle-sharp teeth. Shawn chuckled and began scratching me behind my ears. I started purring, my little chest rumbling in pleasure. Huh. I didn't know foxes could purr. Although, technically, I wasn't a fox.

"You eat a lot, Vulpix." Shawn commented, sounding amused. I grumbled slightly, to sleepy to get really annoyed. "Huh? What's the matter?"

"I didn't eat _that_ much." I tried to protest. To my horror, something else came out: "Vul! Pix, Vulpix!" What the hell?! Oh, no. Pokemon couldn't talk to humans, except that creepy Meowth dude that hung out with Team Rocket. So nice of Mewtwo to inform me of that little fact.

"You know, I wish I could afford one of those translator collars Silph just invented. Then I could understand what you were saying." Shawn muttered sadly. I frowned and pushed my hand into his hand hard, Older-Sister Instincts and Pokemon Instincts going on full blast. Yeah, I already viewed him as a kind of little brother. So what? Even as a Pokemon, I refused to have him all depressed. Shawn seemed to perk up at the action though, which is what counts.

Yeah, you're right." Of course I am, I thought smugly. I'm _always_ right. "I shouldn't be all depressed. We'll just win lots of battles, win plenty of money, and buy a bunch of them!" I resumed my purring as Shawn continued his scratching. I wasn't sure what I would say to him if he did get one of those collar thingies. I would definitely not say anything about me guarding him. I don't think Mewtwo would be to pleased with me. "Hey, I still haven't given you a name!" I nodded in agreement to the giving me a name. It wasn't dignified, going around being called 'girl' or 'Vulpix'. 'Course, I wasn't exactly dignified anyway, being a purple puffball and all.

"Alright, how about Flare?" I shook my head. "Yeah, too cliché… Inferno?" I groaned in exasperation. "Okay… Well, you're a really dark color, so how about Kage? It means Shadow in some ancient language." I considered it for a moment, then nodded. It would work for me. Not as good as my old name, but that was in the past now. "Alright, Kage. My name's Shawn, and I'm your new trainer!" He paused dramatically for a moment, seeming to be waiting for some kind of reaction. I yawned, and he seemed to deflate a bit. "Well, anyway, you're my first Pokemon. I found your egg out in the open while taking a walk in the woods. I waited for awhile, but no one came to get you, so I took your egg home and hoped you would hatch. So, here you are." I remained quiet for now, since I was pretty tired. I would have just slept, but there was one thing I wanted to do.

Reluctantly, I pushed one paw out of my warm cocoon and pointed it at a full-body mirror leaning against the wall. It was cracked, but it would work.

"Hey! Bring me over there!" I ordered. Shawn paused in his scratching.

"Huh? You want to see what you look like?"

"Yep." I nodded so he would know what my answer was.

"Sure. You _do_ look a little weird." I growled a little at that. Sadly, my growls just weren't that threatening.

Shawn stood up with me in his arms and brought me over to the mirror. I stared at my reflection in amusement. Damn, Mewtwo had really messed with my color. My whole body was the same very dark purple color as Shawn's hair, even the tails and curls at the top of my head, which, from what I remembered, were a different color than the body on a regular Vulpix. My eyes were the _exact_ same shade as Shawn's, that really deep blue that seemed to glow. It was pretty easy to realize that Mewtwo had modeled me after Shawn, making me look as similar as possible. Damn, the god must really like this kid.

It made me realize how important this was. If I failed to protect this young boy, I was screwed. Mewtwo would _not_ let me he have a peaceful afterlife if I failed. He struck me as the vengeful type. I still didn't know why he was interested in Shawn. And speaking of not knowing, I still don't know what I have to protect him _from_. Hopefully I would find out soon.

I yawned for what felt like the millionth time. I settled into Shawn's arms more comfortably, and closed my eyes. It was time for me to sleep.

End Chapter 1

**A.N.- How was that? Yeah, I know it was kind of short but they'll get longer as time passes. Thanks to those who reviewed****!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's Chapter 2! I have now acquired a Beta, the wonderful FireBirdXoX. She has done a very good job (yes, I'm a suckup. XD) You can thank her for making this chapter better. Read and review, for her sake if not for my own.**

Reborn to Serve

Chapter 2

When I woke up, the first thing that I noticed that I noticed was that I was hungry. The second thing I noticed, was how warm and comfortable I was. While I was asleep, Shawn must have laid down in bed; the end result being him falling asleep with an arm draped over me. My cocoon of blankets had somehow unraveled, and I was curled up against his chest.

My stomach rumbled. Ugh, I was starving. But Shawn looked so peaceful, and I didn't want to wake him up. That would be mean, and I didn't want to be cruel to the person I would most likely be spending the rest of my Pokemon life with. Besides, I kind of viewed him as a little brother already. Just not the annoying kind; assuming the non-annoying kind actually exists. I liked the idea of having a little brother. Being an orphan and all, I hadn't really felt a true sense of family. At the time, I honestly didn't care. But a twelve-year old, and former fifteen-year old, made a good combination for a brother-sister relationship. Not that Shawn would ever know, of course. But it's the thought that counts, I suppose.

After thinking these thoughts of great wisdom, I slowly got up; pushing Shawn's arm off me. I stood on all fours unsteadily, trying to get used to having four feet. It is an odd feeling, that was for sure. Carefully, I moved my right front paw forward. Then my left hind paw… my front left paw… and, crash. Face-plant into the mattress. Wonderful. I had tripped on something. But what?

I glanced back and growled angrily. I had tripped on one of my six tails, which I had completely forgotten I had. Well, wasn't I a complete idiot… That was a fairly important detail, and kind of hard not to notice…

I stood back up, and held my tails up off the bed this time. Then, I restarted my practice. First, I just walked around the bed slowly; tripping and face-planting a lot in the process. When I was moving relatively smoothly, I sped up gradually until I was running in circles around Shawn. Vulpix can move pretty damn fast, just so you know.

"Kage, what the _hell_ are you doing?" A sleepy voice questioned me.

I stopped abruptly and looked at Shawn, semi-embarrassed. There was no way for me to answer, (or at least not in a way Shawn could understand) so I decided to ignore the question. Instead, I just leapt off the bed, stumbling a bit on the landing. But I didn't land on my face, which was a major improvement.

I padded over to the nightstand that had the mini-fridge on it and tried to jump up. I almost made it, but ended up half-on and half-off, with my hindquarters hanging off. I had to scramble, hoisting myself up by my front paws. Of course, considering how long it took human babies to become mobile, I was doing pretty damn good. Only a few hours old, and I was already moving around freely. Pokemon rock, which, in turn, means I rock.

I sat down next to the fridge and stared at Shawn, my ears pinned back. Now that he was awake, I wanted food. Or liquid, I suppose. As long as it filled my aching stomach. Baby Pokemon must need to eat a lot, same as humans.

Shawn chuckled, and sat up with a yawn. He stretched luxuriously, then got up. He walked towards me and scratched behind my ears for a moment before opening the fridge. I peered in and immediately flinched away at the cold. It almost hurt, in a way. Not really bad, like a light sting, but I still didn't like it.

Shawn pulled out a bottle and walked over to his desk. I purred as he warmed it up, upping the volume when he approached me again.

"You're a greedy girl, huh?" He teased, bringing the bottle to my waiting muzzle.

I ignored the minor insult and concentrated on guzzling down the amazing liquid. Honestly, this stuff was awesome! When it was gone, I briefly considered begging for more, but then realized I couldn't force myself to. Pokemon or not, my pride wouldn't let me. I refused to stoop that low as a human, and I wouldn't do it as a Pokemon either.

"Hey, Kage, do you want to come with me to get breakfast?" Shawn asked me, interrupting my thoughts.

I nodded, figuring I had nothing better to do.

"Alright, but watch out for the younger kids. They might swarm us when they see you."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. They couldn't be that bad… right?

***

I sat on Shawn's head, twitching occasionally. My paws were digging into his scalp, and he winced every time I tightened my grip while he ate. I was officially terrified of six, seven, and eight-year old kids. As soon as Shawn and I had stepped into the dining room, the crazy animals had swarmed me, asking questions loudly and pawing at my fur. They were freaking out about my unusual fur color, which made it even worse. Their shrill voices hurt my poor, sensitive ears. Within minutes, I had climbed up onto Shawn's head so the little monsters couldn't reach me. I was still a baby, after all. Babies are sensitive.

Eventually, a nun came and calmed down the miniature mob. I thought it was funny that nuns are in charge of orphanages in both the worlds I had inhabited. The only difference was that Mew and her fellow legendaries were the ones being worshipped. It made sense to me. Those powerful creatures are Gods in their own right. Who knows, maybe they even answered prayers?

Before I could go any farther with that train of thought, I realized Shawn had finished eating. It had taken him awhile, since he had still been answering questions. I didn't envy him there.

"Kage, want to go take a walk?" Shawn suggested, "I want to show you around my hometown."

I purred in agreement. I needed to learn more about my Trainer, so I could protect him better.

Shawn stood up, leaving me on his head. He picked up his breakfast dishes and put them in a bin labeled 'dirty dishes', then headed out of the dining room and into a wide hallway. Before we got far, one of the doors leading off of the hall opened.

"Shawn? Is that Vulpix the Pokemon who hatched from the egg you found? What an interesting color she is." An elderly voice spoke. My ears swiveled in the direction of the sound, followed by my gaze.

"Yes, Reverend Mother. Her name's Kage." The woman was very old, I noticed. She wore the standard nun's outfit, and she had a very kind face that told me she probably wouldn't hurt a fly. Her wrinkled face melted into a smile when she noticed me looking at her.

"Hello, little Vulpix. Welcome to the world. May Mew bless you with a long life."

Well, I wasn't sure about Mew, or the long life part, but I had Mewtwo's blessing. Did that count?

"Reverend Mother, would you mind letting Kage meet Buddy? She hasn't met any other Pokemon yet."

The Reverend Mother smiled again and nodded. Shawn beamed and set me on the ground while she pulled a Pokeball out of one of her pockets. There was a flash of red light, and I got my first view of Buddy.

You know, when you hear the name Buddy, you generally expect to see something small and cute, like a puppy. What you _don't_ expect, is a fucking huge orange and black-striped wolf thing! I felt all my fur stand on end. This thing's paws were bigger than my head! I backed away as fast as I could, stopping when I bumped into Shawn's legs. I stared at the huge creature with wide, terrified eyes.

"Kage, it's okay. Buddy won't hurt you," Shawn reassured me.

I flinched when the massive Pokemon noticed me. Its muzzle formed a gentle smile, much like it's mistress. I realized it was very old; its fur tinged with grey. Slowly, I let my fur lay flat again.

"Hello, little one. So your name is Kage?" Its voice was male, and very deep. I nodded and took a hesitant step forward, my ears and tails twitching nervously. "It means Shadow, does it not? It fits you very well."

"Y-yes sir." I stuttered. I figured being respectful was a safe bet. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

"An Arcanine, little one. I help Marie with the human children here at the orphanage," Buddy the Arcanine replied.

He stepped forward a bit and bent his head down. I braced myself, but he just sniffed me, taking in my scent. When he spoke again, his voice was confused.

"What's this? You smell more like a human than a newborn Vulpix should."

I shifted in place uneasily, but didn't answer. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tell anyone that I was a reborn. You know, it would have been nice if Mewtwo had told me about stuff like this.

"Well, they seem to be getting along." Shawn's voice sounded relieved. Mother Marie chuckled.

"Of course, dear. I have never met a single creature that Buddy did not get along with." She stroked Buddy's head, and he leaned into her hand, rumbling in pleasure. I was grateful for the distraction. I didn't want to try and answer awkward questions.

"Reverend Mother, do you mind if Kage and I go for a walk?" Shawn asked. "I want to show Kage around Viridian."

"Of course you may, just remember to take Kage to the Pokemon Center for her check-up before you drag her all over the city."

Shawn nodded happily in response.

"If you ever need help with your fire, come see me young one." Buddy told me seriously. "I am always willing to help, and you have two days before you and Shawn leave for your journey." I smiled tentatively and nodded.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to remember that." Buddy smiled again and nudged me with his nose gently. His nostrils flared slightly, and I realized he hadn't forgotten my human scent. I hoped it would fade in time, but somehow I doubted it.

"Kage, let's go!"

My ears twitched and I glanced back at Shawn. I sighed and stood up. He was so young and energetic. He still had his innocence, and a child's simple joy in life. I envied him that. The orphanages here in the Pokemon world were much gentler than in my former world.

Shawn decided I was taking too long, and took off, trusting that I would follow him. I rolled my eyes, but followed after giving a respectful nod to the noble Arcanine.

"Wait up, you crazy boy!" I howled, using my nose to follow his scent. How the hell could a human run so fast? I didn't run that fast when I was a human, did I? I swore quietly to myself when I tripped _again_, this time over my feet. "God damn it, slow down!"

End Chapter 2

**A.N. – How was it? Isn't my Beta awesome? Review and tell her so! It's not that hard, there's a big button right below this. You guys are lucky, I was going to post this Monday, but I had extra time. -Okami**


	4. Chapter 3

**A.N.- Sorry for the wait, the Universe was conspiring against me. Thanks to my Beta Firebird for not giving up on me! ;P **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, and you won't get much if you sue me… Maybe some lint, and my annoying, yappy dog, who never stops barking…**

Reborn to Serve

Chapter 3

Shawn was waiting at the door for me, much to my relief. I didn't think I could track him through the city. At some point he had grabbed a backpack, which was slung over his shoulder. He was grinning happily, with one hand on the brass doorknob.

"Time for your first look at the outside world," he told me. "Ready?"

I nodded eagerly. I wanted to see what this new world of mine was like. Shawn opened the door, and I stepped out.

It was breathtaking. The sights, smells, and sounds rushed in and overwhelmed me. For sounds, the first thing that I noticed was that there were almost no cars to be heard, even with my stronger ears. In the distance, I could hear people and Pokemon talking and laughing, going about their daily lives. From what I could hear, they were all happy; a distinct difference from what I had always known.

The smells were also a major shock. My feeble human nose simply couldn't match up to my new Vulpix one. I could smell _everything._ The trees, the grass, scents carried on the gently wafting breeze. I lifted my muzzle and breathed in deeply, my brain somehow identifying every scent; even the Pokemon. Pidgey, Rattata, and so many others were there. Somehow I knew what each one looked like, and their specie name. Must be an instinct that had decided not to work with Buddy.

The sights were perhaps the most overwhelming, in some ways. Everything was so bright and vibrant; a stark contrast to the dull colors of the world I had left behind. This place was, to put it simply, amazing.

"Well? What do you think, Kage? Isn't Viridian great?" Shawn asked me proudly. "It's small, but it's my home, and a great place to grow up."

I smiled up at him and nodded. At that moment, I was so grateful for my second chance in this beautiful place.

"Thank you, Mewtwo," I whispered reverently. "You won't regret choosing me, I'll make sure of it."

I received no reply, of course, but I didn't need one. My choice was made, and I wouldn't change it now.

"Well, we better get going," Shawn sighed, settling his backpack more comfortably on his shoulder, making me wonder what was in it. "Time for your check-up."

I followed Shawn out onto the sidewalk with a snort.

"Shawn, I'm perfectly healthy," I complained, knowing he wouldn't understand. I stifled a curse when I almost tripped again, then continued. "Honestly, do I _look_ sick to you?"

Shawn just stared, uncomprehending. I sighed, and turned my attention to the area around me, staying close to his feet. I tried to ignore the weird looks I was getting from the people passing by, but all the stares were disconcerting, I'll admit. My altered coloring wasn't that noticeable, was it? Deciding to ignore them, I turned my attention to the scenery.

I was amazed by how clean everything was. I couldn't see any kind of trash on the ground at all. Shawn had said Viridian was small, but in my former world, even the smallest places had people littering left and right. Here, the only thing that made things dirty was dirt, and even that was in short supply. From what I had seen so far, this world was perfect.

But it couldn't be, or Mewtwo wouldn't have needed my help. Hell, from what I remembered from the movie, Mewtwo wouldn't even _exist_ if this was a perfect world. Some guy- Gio something or other, I think- created Mewtwo to be the most powerful Pokemon in existence. Talk about a power trip…

"Hey, what's that?" Shawn asked me abruptly. I looked up sharply to see a four-legged, wolf-like creature running toward us. Its navy-blue body was covered in thick, shaggy white fur, and elongated claws protruded from its paws. But the most striking feature, was the blue scythe that jutted out of the left side of its head.

"Oh, cool, it's an Absol! Must be a trainer's, you don't normally see those here in Kanto."

The Pokemon slid to a stop in front of me. He looked annoyed, and a little worried.

"Hey, did you happen to see a blonde-haired girl go by? She's wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans that go to about mid-thigh. She's around the same age as this kid," he asked, nodding at at Shawn.

"Sorry, we haven't seen anyone like that," I explained, still studying his odd appearance.

"Mew damn it, how am I supposed to protect her when she keeps wandering off!" The Absol muttered, before glancing back at me and clearing his throat. "Well, thanks anyway. Nice fur, by the way." He gave me a small smile, and then bounded away again in search of the girl. I blinked. Well, he seemed nice enough.

"What was _that_ all about?"

Well, Shawn was obviously confused. I shot him a pitying glance, and continued walking. He got the hint, and resumed leading me to the Pokemon Center.

***

"Well, this is the Pokemon Center," Shawn announced.

I glanced up at the giant red 'P' that was over the doors with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? I never would have guessed. I mean, it's not like the sign is a dead giveaway or anything," I snickered. Shawn frowned, and bent over to pick me up.

"We really need to start battling and earn some money, " he complained, walking inside.

"Welcome to the Center. How may I help you?" a female voice chimed.

I twisted my head around to see a woman wearing a nurse's outfit. Her main feature was her red hair. And when I say red, I mean, like, fire engine red. I stared, fascinated. Was it even possible for hair to be that bright? Was it natural? I mean, I know everything is brighter in this world, but this was just plain ridiculous!

"Hey, Nurse Joy. Would you mind giving my Vulpix a check-up? She just hatched," Shawn explained.

The red-haired woman smiled happily. "Alright then, if you'll just hand her over…" With that, I was switched over to the far-too-cheerful woman. "It will only take a second."

I was carried away through a door to the right of the nurse's desk. I looked around curiously at the room. There were rows of beds, with curtains that could be pulled between them for privacy, just like a regular hospital. Nurse Joy carried me past the beds and into another room. This one had a bunch of different machines. Nurse Joy placed me in one of them, and pulled a glass cover over me, trapping me inside. I almost began to panic, but then noticed the cover wasn't latched down. If I had to, I could get out.

"Try and stay still, Vulpix," The friendly red-head chirped at me. "Lights will flash, but they won't hurt you."

I twitched my ears and nodded. Nurse Joy beamed, and walked over to a desk that had what looked like some kind of control panel on it. She pressed a few buttons, and multicolored lights began flickering across the surface of the glass. I stared, interested. How did that work? Technology was obviously more advanced here, that was for sure.

After about a minute of slowly wandering around, the lights faded. Outside, I heard the sound of something printing. I looked in Nurse Joy's direction to see her taking some papers from a printer. She looked them over, and nearly gave me a heart attack when her beaming smile faded, to be replaced by confusion.

"That's odd…" She murmured, putting the papers down and walking over to me.

"Your genetic structure is not the same as the common Vulpix… it's expected, you are a Shiny, but even then it's different. It's almost as if you have another element in addition to Fire…" She shook her head. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. You're perfectly healthy, and it will sort itself out with time."

I closed my eyes in exasperation as she picked me up and carried me out of the machine room. Just how much had Mewtwo fucked with me? Was he _trying_ to make me stand out?

"Your Vulpix is perfectly healthy!" Nurse Joy said happily, all of her former confusion wiped from her face, replaced by her usual beaming smile. "Congratulations! And just in time for the Indigo League starting up again!"

I was handed off to Shawn, much to my annoyance. I _did_ know how to walk, after all. Yeah, I tripped a lot, but still…

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Shawn replied happily, scratching behind my ears. I began to purr, my annoyance fading quickly. Ah, that felt so nice…

"Hey, Nurse Joy! Would you check on my new Nidoran? I think Cassie hit him a little to hard."

Shawn turned, allowing me to see who had come in. I blinked, surprised. It was that Absol again, but it looked like he had found his trainer. He noticed me looking at him and grinned. I smiled back and squirmed out of Shawn's arms as the girl and the Absol approached us. The girl handed a Pokeball to Nurse Joy and turned to Shawn.

She had an athletic build, with extremely wavy blonde hair up in a ponytail. Freckles dusted her tanned skin, and her bright green eyes sparkled happily.

"Hi, I'm Kayla! Nice to meet you!"

Shawn looked a bit taken aback at her friendliness, but answered anyway. "Uh, nice to meet you too. My name's Shawn."

I tuned the two kids out, and turned my attention to the Absol, who was watching me with slight interest.

"I see you found your trainer," I commented, padding over to him and sitting down. "The name's Kage, by the way."

"Yes, not long after I spoke to you. My name is Lexus, nice to meet you."

I nodded. "Likewise. Is your trainer participating in the Indigo League?"

Lexus grinned, his red eyes gleaming. "Not exactly. Kayla wishes to travel and battle when she feels like it, without the stress of Gym battles. We arrived here in Viridian today, on our way to Pallet Town to get Kayla's license from Professor Oak," he explained. "We're originally from Hoenn."

I tilted my head, confused.

"Hoenn? What's that?" I asked.

Lexus chuckled, "Sorry, I forgot that you're so young; you speak like you're much older." I winced, but luckily he didn't continue with that line of thought. "Hoenn is another region, like Kanto. Different kinds of Pokemon live there."

I flicked my tails idly, thinking about what he had said. It explained why Shawn had said that Absol weren't seen around here. Then, something else occurred to me.

"Why didn't Kayla journey in Hoenn, then?" I questioned.

Lexus looked a bit uncomfortable, and I thought I saw a bit of regret in his red eyes. "Bad memories. She wanted -_needed_- a fresh start. I don't know much, I hatched on the trip over."

His eyes shifted downward as he avoided my gaze, making me narrow my eyes in suspicion. Was he lying to me? I frowned, and returned my attention to the two humans above me.

"-want to come with me to get our licenses?" Kayla was asking, her Pokeball in her hands again. Shawn seemed surprised, but nodded anyway.

"I'd be fine with that, but I'm not leaving just yet. I'm waiting two days, so I don't get caught in the rush at Oak's lab." He glanced down at me and smiled. "I also want to train with Kage a bit."

Kayla looked down, seeming to notice me for the first time. Her face split into a wide smile, and I heard Lexus groan in an exasperated way.

"Oh my _gosh_! It's a Shiny Vulpix!" She swooped down on me and scooped me up. "You're so _lucky_!"

The overzealous girl began to stroke my tails happily. I had been about to panic, but for some reason, that instantly calmed me. I started to purr, melting into a pile of content goo in this wonderful, yet slightly insane girl's arms.

"Well, she definitely likes you!" Shawn laughed. I blinked sluggishly at him, grateful that he wasn't a jealous person. Kayla grinned at him, pleased.

"Yeah, I think she does! Anyway, I can wait two days. I'll just stay here at the Center until we leave," Kayla said decisively. "Traveling will be safer with another person, after all."

I upped the volume of my purring to indicate my approval. Below me, I heard Lexus chuckle.

"Hey, do you want to help me train Kage?" Shawn asked hopefully, his blue eyes going wide, causing the phenomenon known as the puppy-dog eyes. "I don't have much experience, and-"

"Let's go!" Kayla squealed.

She grabbed Shawn's arm, and proceeded to drag him out the door at a dead run. Shawn stumbled a bit, then began to run, Lexus at the two kid's heels. I, of course, was still nestled comfortably in Kayla's arms.

I wondered briefly if I should be worried.

End Chapter 3

**A.N.- Read and Review, please. If anyone's interested, I now have a forum for this story. Go check it out! Again, sorry for the really long wait.**


	5. Notice

Notice:

This story is going to be rewritten, so forget everything from all the chapters but the first. Sorry, but I realized that the direction I'm taking this story will only work if I change a bunch of things. All the main characters will be the same, so don't worry about that. Same goes for most of the plot. The main thing changing is how and where Shawn is going to be growing up. No changes will be made to Kage's character. I'm hoping for the new second chapter to be up soon. I'll just delete the old ones. This notice will stay up for at least a week before all but the first chapter is deleted so I can get a fresh start. Don't worry, it won't be deleted. Sorry for waiting so long before I informed you of this. I thank you for your support and understanding. -Okami


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